Did prep powerhouse IMG Academy duck a national showdown?

IMG Academy has produced as many or more elite college prospects as any program in the 2000s, but the school is facing understandably scrutiny at the moment. 

The Florida-based prep training powerhouse was scheduled to play Friday night against Maryland-based St. Frances Academy, which also has emerged in the past decade-plus as a preeminent high school training ground for future college stars.

But the two schools then agreed to delay their matchup into December as an unofficial, de facto high school football national championship.

Then, on Friday and by all accounts, rather abruptly, IMG Academy said it would not play the game scheduled for mid-December. 

"While we were originally scheduled and excited to face St. Frances this evening, given how the season unfolded with the teams becoming the consensus top-two teams in the country, there was a unique opportunity to reschedule the matchup into a nationally televised championship that required the date to be moved to mid-December, creating a nearly six-week layoff between games," the Bradenton, Florida, school said in its official statement posted to social media platform X. 

"That extended break raised understandable concerns around player health and safety and the college transition for our seniors. After extensive consideration for what's best for our student-athletes, the difficult decision was made not to participate in the rescheduled game.

"At IMG Academy, our purpose extends beyond championships. We take great pride in helping student-athletes grow as leaders, and their maturity, unity, and character have made us incredibly throughout this difficult decision."

St. Frances very much disagreed with the decision, and the school's head coach told a Rivals.com reporter about his displeasure with IMG Academy's last-minute decision.

"We get to face somebody that's a formidable opponent and really play or at east compete for an opportunity to be national champion," St. Frances coach Messay Hailemariam said, per the outlet. "And, they (IMG Academy) decide to walk way from something they knew about way before this date. 

"You know, they didn't consider us whatsoever or the team or our school. They just worried about themselves, which is a very selfish and an incredibly disrespectful approach to this whole process."

Proponents for playing the game and particularly those in the corner of St. Frances note that St. Frances Academy won last year's matchup between the two national powerhouses -- and did so in convincing fashion by multiple touchdowns.

IMG Academy will thus finish its national season at 9-0; St. Frances is 8-1.

The cancellation drew the attention of former NFL star Torrey Smith.